This invention relates to a bucket system for use with large excavating apparatus and more particularly to a bucket which because of its design and construction provides a highly efficient bucket for operation with a dragline.
Dragline buckets, by their nature, must be designed in a rugged manner. They must also be constructed to handle large volumes of material. In most instances, dragline buckets are designated to handle from 30-130 cubic yards of material. Throughout the years, a typical standard dragline bucket was constructed with a high front arch to provide attachment to a dump line and structural integrity to the bucket lip and drag clevis plate structure, as well as a back wall approximately the same height as or only slightly lower than the side walls as to retain a maximum amount of material in the bucket. A typical standard dragline bucket of this design would be a Model BH 60-D available from the Bucyrus-Erie Company. When using these standard buckets with such a back wall in a dragline operation, the operator is inclined to attempt to fill the bucket to the top in all areas before dumping it. This results in an inefficient operation as the operator spends an excessive amount of time and energy dragging an almost completely filled bucket in order to fill a few more cubic yards-of material. Further, the heavy back wall adds substantially to the weight and cost of the bucket. In addition to the previously described features, such a standard dragline bucket would also in most instances have the hoist chains attached to the outside of the bucket. This necessitates the use of a spreader bar to keep the hoist chains from engagement with the sides of the bucket.
The prior art does not provide a cost efficient dragline bucket wherein the weight of the bucket can be reduced to a minimum as well as the number of component parts. Neither does the prior art provide a dragline bucket having a low profile back which reduces weight and cost in manufacturing the bucket yet results in a more efficient operation.
It is an advantage of the present invention to provide an improved dragline bucket system resulting in higher production efficiency and at a lower cost.
It is another advantage of this invention to provide a dragline bucket system of the foregoing type wherein the back has a low profile and several component parts of prior art dragline buckets are eliminated.
It is an additional advantage of this invention to provide a dragline bucket system of the foregoing type which affords a capacity increase while maintaining the service duty rating for a bucket of comparable standard design.
It is yet another advantage of this invention to provide a dragline bucket system of the foregoing type which is readily adaptable to conventional hoist, drag and dump lines.
It is still another advantage of this invention to provide a dragline bucket system of the foregoing type wherein a standard bucket can be modified to different sizes or capacities.
It is yet another advantage of this invention to provide a novel excavating bucket as well as a replaceable basket portion.
Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent as well as an understanding of the invention from the descriptions following.